ICBUW calls for the US to give a categorical assurance, similar to that given by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, that weapons containing DU have no place in this conflict. A clear statement, covering both A-10 and AV-8B aircraft should be issued...

"A US Airforce Spokeswoman has told a Scottish journalist that, as of 2nd April, A-10s fighting in Libya have not been firing DU ammunition. However, she refused to give any assurances about the future use of DU, stating that she didn't want "to speculate on what may or may not be used in the future".

Rob Edwards, a writer for the Sunday Herald, contacted Paula Kurtz, Director of Public Affairs for the 17th US Air Force following ICBUW's updated statement on the situation in Libya and calls by campaigners for the US to clarify the situation. Six A-10s have been deployed to Libya from the 81st Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing, which is part of the 17th Air Force. The A-10s are normally based in Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, but are currently operating out of Aviano Air Force Base in Italy.

A-10 planes fire the 30mm PGU-14 Armour Piercing Incendiary DU round from the GAU-8 rotary cannon fitted beneath the cockpit of the A-10. The GAU-8 normally fires a mix of PGU-14 and PGU-13 High Explosive rounds, which are pre-loaded on an ammunition belt before the plane flies. If Kurtz's statement is correct, then this is the first public acknowledgement by the US that A-10s are being loaded with only PGU-13 rounds, although the practice has previously been identified in photographs of A-10 units in Afghanistan.

During congressional hearings in the US last Thursday, Admiral Mike Mullen suggested that the A-10 and AC-130 aircraft, which specialise in attacking ground forces, would only be active for several more days. It is still not known whether US Marines AV-8B Harriers in Libya have been equipped with DU ammunition. US Marine Harriers have historically been armed with the 20mm PGU-20/U Armour Piercing Incendiary round, and fired 11 tons of DU during the 1991 Gulf War. ICBUW has still not seen any clear evidence that this round has been taken out of service, as some reports have suggested.

If the A-10 has indeed been deployed to Libya without DU ammunition, this is certainly good news, though the refusal to rule out future use of DU in this conflict is clearly of concern. Any decision on whether to deploy the A-10s with DU ammunition should be seen in terms of wider US moves to phase out DU in medium calibre rounds, first reported by ICBUW in January 2010. While the US has refused to cede ground publicly to anti-DU campaigners, these moves are a tacit admission that the use of DU is politically unacceptable, and that it's properties are so unique that alternatives cannot be found.

ICBUW calls for the US to give a categorical assurance, similar to that given by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, that weapons containing DU have no place in this conflict. A clear statement, covering both A-10 and AV-8B aircraft should be issued at the earliest opportunity.

If the US has taken a strategic decision not to equip US planes with DU ammunition in this conflict, that is a progressive step. However, in the absence of a public declaration that such a decision has been taken, concerns will remain that the door has been left open for the future use of DU in Libya.

ICBUW calls for the US to take steps in a clear and transparent manner to assure the world that no US aircraft will go into the air equipped with DU ammunition, and that pilots will not be cleared to fire it. Any DU ammunition currently in theatre should be separated and left unused.

As ICBUW has long maintained, DU has no place in conventional munitions. The current position of the US affirms that position: if US planes have been able to use alternatives, there is no reason why alternatives should not be found for all ammunition containing DU. We call for all current user states to remove these weapons from their arsenals.

An urgent step to protect civilians in areas where DU weapons have already been used, is for user states to share targeting data with the authorities in affected states - a move endorsed by 148 states in the UN General Assembly last December, and opposed by only four, including the US, France and UK."

Tuesday April 5, 2011, 9:58 am
I have to remind Americans who read this. That the United States in 1870 led the world to ban an inhumane weapon. After we saw the terrible wounds cause by soft lead bullets in our Civil War. the US led nations from Czarist Russia to Japan to sign a treaty to ban the use of soft lead bullets. Where is that US now?

Tuesday April 5, 2011, 10:44 am
Honestly, I had a little trouble making sense of it all, "he said, they said, she said, bla,bla, bla" and would love to believe all filthy and disgusting WMD were being phased out, rather, entirely eliminated...but I don't know. I just don't know what to beleive. Sometimes my belief in the humanity in human slowly is dwindling from day to day, but must retain the hope. Must. Thank you for the post, Carole, and forward, Amour.

America has used DU for decades now -- and has consistently LIED about it. For the longest time, they denied that it was dangerous . . . but as horrific birth defects have borne out in Iraq, that was entirely untrue.

NOW, they refuse to agree not to use this insidious material in the future!

It's small wonder that the U.S. government is held in such low esteem worldwide -- but, I do NOT want my tax dollars used for WMD's, while those who continue to sanctify their use continue to hypocritically take the "higher ground" and posture as humanitarians.

(And I have to wonder which decision-makers have had their pockets lined by which provider of these weapons.)

The government justifies their use of depleted uranium (DU) by purposely confusing citizens as to its dangers. For those who are not aware of how DU is activated, I ask you to view the following short video that graphically explains the process in easily-understood terminology:

Tuesday April 5, 2011, 11:37 am
Thank you, Carole, and everyone who has signed this - when people have integrity, they have nothing to fear because they have nothing to hide - would that our country would find its integrity again....

Tuesday April 5, 2011, 12:57 pm
Thank you Carole. Unable to give you a star at this time.
This is disturbing and we cannot make weapons with this kind of long term nuclear waste. We must continue to speak out against use of nuclear material anywhere on this planet. It is outrageous that any civilians would be exposed to such material for years that could cause their eventual death and that of their unborn.
We must demand truth and honesty from our government.
I only watch Link TV and Democracy Now and Free Speech TV. The rest is junk news and absolutely undependable.
Bee Hive Lady, I think that America was long gone since the treaty with Czarist Russia. There is no compromise when there is no one that has near equal power as the U.S.

I say that, not because I am for or against any particular party or candidate -- but because I yearn for HONESTY from my government! (There is something very intrinsically wrong with ANY politician campaigning on a platform pledging transparency and a priority for the welfare of worldwide citizens, but proving him/herself to be a LIAR once elected.)

We live in a very sad state when the term "honest politician" has become an oxymoron -- and accepted by those who continue to vote for candidates with a background of lying -- and EXCUSING (and more than likely, re-electing) them.

In general, people (and yes, even politicians) tend to respond in direct correlation to the standards demanded of them. We're too forgiving of "lapses" by those we pay to represent us. Common citizens are not given excuses for breaking laws (and, in fact, ignorance of law is an inexcusable defense). Behavior by those in charge of developing legislation should be held in HIGHER scrutiny . . . not lower.

Tuesday April 5, 2011, 2:46 pm
First it's the aging perhaps getting rusty cruise missels, lets fire off as many as we can to see if still working up to, now like in Iraq secret weapons popping up. Untold dangers to civilians or intended targets and how long will the effects last? I agree BAN ALL USE OF DEPLETED URANIUM.

and NO MORE BOMBS! Think about the people of Libya! innocent people who don't deserve the hell brought to them by arrogant, murderous western countries.

And remember that the winds from the South bring all the toxic dust particles from the bombs to Europe.... contaminating the Mediterranean sea, Spain, Greece, Italy, and others, and then going northwards.... Look it up on maps!!!
In Greece we often get dust from the Sahara desert and Africa in general, we're having some right now, leaving dust that settles everywhere and dims the sunlight and can make it hard to breathe... always a nuisance but now it is probably toxic due to the bombings, just like when Kosovo was being bombed and we too got acid rain contaminating everything..

Between the radiation from Japan and the bombings, the planet is being contaminated all over...

Tuesday April 5, 2011, 4:23 pm
BS! We started using 'depleted uranium' in Bosnia. We used it in Iraq and Afghanistan. We're probably using it in Pakistan, as well. And, i would not be surprised to learn we are using it in Libya!

Tuesday April 5, 2011, 4:29 pm
Bee hive lady : ) the US government has a horrible history of destroying whatever they think stands in their way. The native people, the people in Appalachia, unions, etc., etc. And of course, the environment. It was probably a PR thing. That soft lead bullet thing. After all, we are the world's premier arms dealer.

Daily, as I read news of extreme right-wingers who want to control the uteruses of women (supposedly, for birth rights of the unborn), I wonder about their far-reaching logic.

Is their God only considerate of Americans? Doesn't the right of life also extend to their religious understanding of a God that thinks beyond man-defined borders? Don't the lives of the civilians we assault with our WMD's also matter?

If so, they WHY are they promoting politicians that are pro-war?

I call upon these people to rethink their allegiances. I, for one, value ALL life; and I question anyone who considersh his/herself to be righteously sanctified, while aligning themselves with those who take ANY innocent life! (and include in that category, animals)

Tuesday April 5, 2011, 5:26 pm
Thanks Carole for the post. I have already signed the petition sometime back.

At the time people in Japan, and in the US, too, are so worried and scared about dumping of "radiation contaminated water" from the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant, and concerned (and rational thinking) people all over the world are demanding governments and corporates to stop nuke plants, it is really disgusting and frustrating to read such an article like this (I mean the US's use of DU and lies).

Tuesday April 5, 2011, 6:49 pm
Your signature will be visible online after approval by the campaign organisers.
Yeah, Care2 finally let me on, for awhile anyways. Thanks Carole for keeping on top of this very important issue.

A spokesperson said that DU ammunition was not used"... as of 2nd April...". This means that it was definitely used before, and it will probably be used again because she didn't want "...to speculate on what may or may not be used in the future".

DU ammunition is used on heavily shielded equipment, like tanks. Libyan tanks, as we all know, indeed can FLY, and therefore had to be destroyed to secure "the no-fly zone", as mandated by UN Resolution 1973.

Now I had to stop, or I'll be banned from care2 for using dirty language.
___________________

The Grand Canyon, one of America's greatest treasures, is threatened by a huge wave of Uranium mining - and the deadline for public comment is fast approaching.

For two years, a hard-won moratorium on mining has protected the Canyon, but the ban is now set to expire. If the federal government doesn't renew it, a "Uranium Rush" of mining would permanently scar the face of this unique and priceless land, devastate local communities, and endanger water supplies for millions who live nearby.

Mining lobbyists are pushing the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to let the digging begin, but a proposed 20-year ban is also under review. A public outcry helped secure the embargo last time, and thanks to a wave of citizen outcry last week, the deadline for public comment has just been extended through May 4 - so if enough of us raise the alarm now, we could ensure the Canyon stays mine-free for decades. Let’s save the Grand Canyon! Send a comment now, and ask friends to do the same!

Tuesday April 5, 2011, 10:00 pm
Thank you, Carole, for bringing this very important information to the attention of those of us who weren't aware of it! I sincerely hope that the United States is NOT using weapons containing depleted uranium and that an international treaty is signed (and effectively enforced) banning the use of such weapons in the future.

Tuesday April 5, 2011, 11:28 pm
Thanks Carole. I've been trying to push this practice into the public consciousness for years. There is such a pile of lies around WMD from all the Security Council - made up of nations that have it, of course - that scarcely anyone is sane on the topic. You'd have to research foreign policy on nonproliferation and the fate of the 'Axis of Evil' - who all signed the Nonproliferation Treaty ! - to start to understand what a cluster of deception and mass murder is in play.
Robert Orlando 'We started to use DU in Bosnia' I give you points for that insight - but Hawaii is plagued with radioactivity from artillerdelivered tactical A-Bomb tests in the 1940s onward that you have to wonder all subscribed to standard description - especially given investigation of Japanese 'dirty bomb' experiments in remote China.
Anyway - if there is any need for further articles, I've cached several for an overview
http://opitslinkfest.blogspot.com/2009/08/uranium-mining-and-depleted.html

Wednesday April 6, 2011, 12:19 am
Thank you Carole for taking up matter of grave concern please be measured that we are all behind you to support to stop this cruel act by American Govt Which has now become NAZI Govt Killing and torching unarmed Muslims all over the world they should not forget what happened to Nazi regime." GOOD ALWAYS COME BACK EVIL REMAINS WITH YOU "

Wednesday April 6, 2011, 3:49 am
Noted and signed. Thank you Carole. As you say "America has been using DU for decades now--and has consistently lied about it." With that thought in mind it seems legitimate to ask why would they be so inspired to be honest about it now? Bush Jr lied about every time he moved his lips, and it often seems our current president is more like him than not on many levels.

Wednesday April 6, 2011, 9:20 am
In Global Research.ca
America's Planned Nuclear Attack on Libya
- by Prof. Michel Chossudovsky - 2011-03-30
Thinking the Unthinkable. The Pentagon's Plan to Nuke Libya
Nuclear Apocalypse in Japan
- by Keith Harmon Snow - 2011-03-18
Humanity now faces a deadly serious challenge coming out of Japan -- the epicenter of radiation.
VIDEO: Fidel’s Message against Nuclear War: "In a Nuclear War the 'Collateral Damage' would be the Life of All Humanity."
- by Fidel Castro Ruz - 2010-10-21
A forceful message calling for World peace and the survival of humankind.
Missing Nukes: Treason of the Highest Order
- by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya - 2007-10-29
Unauthorized removal of nuclear weapons would be virtually impossible to accomplish unless the chain of command were bypassed.

Let's escalate. I don't know if you have waded through opitslinkfest.blogspot.com > Topical Index > Water : Wealth & Power or the Uranium file I'm tracking some info on. Certainly a target for hydraulic warfare would be Libya: Looking Toward a Post-Lockerbie Future

Wednesday April 6, 2011, 11:33 am
If they are not using DU great hope they continue not too. As a Just War Theorist formally trained in Psychology/Philosophy let me assure you the use of DU does qualify as a Crime Against Humanity under the terms Jus In Bello of the Geneva and the Haig conventions.

Are you trying to make me gag ? You have to be 'trained' in Psychology/Philosophy to buy into that dreck. UNESCO has quite a track record for mindwashing the people ready to fall under the spell of 'Academia.'
Think about the connotations of that word - especially as regards conditioning and Psyops.
Here are a few resources I just assembled over what is a topical issue - the 'dumbing down' and channeling of debate into predetermined spirals of futility. Rand Corporation memoranda can tell you all about it.
http://opitslinkfest.blogspot.com/2011/04/5-april-disaster-capitalism.html
You can Search for much more, of course. I recommend Third World Traveler as one source not noted in the post. But Perception Alteration and its complement under Foreign Policy in the Topical Index should reveal just how corrupt the weapons makers of the UN Security Council really are, even or especially if used as a jumping off point for exploration.

Thursday April 7, 2011, 1:10 am
I'm not an expert on international law, but the use of DU still seems like a crime against humanity and the planet to me. Only evil people could even contemplate using this evil stuff. By definition.
Thanks to Carole and Dandelion for the fwd. Signed and noted.

Thursday April 7, 2011, 6:13 am
Noted. This stuff is horrible and should NEVER be used. But what is to be done with what they have? If they were going to get rid of it tomorrow (I wish they wouuld), how would it be disposed of? Or would this create another mess just like the chemical itself???

Thursday April 7, 2011, 8:45 am
Thanks Carole, I had of course signed previously when presented first time. Thanks to Sheryl as well, signed them all. It's a damn shame the subject pops up again making news. I'm tempted to say America, YES YOU CAN ...fool, deceive, lie, frustrate and p..ss off the world including your own people! Nothing to be proud of!

Thursday April 7, 2011, 9:25 am
Angelica
We Want the subject to come up again and again making news. There are many topics on this board that die for lack of current attention. As far as I am concerned myself, retreating into forums is too much of the time a matter of 'preaching to the choir.' And Search Care2. You will find pages of articles on topics under discussion which are still relevant to current conditions.

I don't think Angie is complaining about the fact that the issue is being repeated in the news network because it's tiresome; I read her comment as expressing disgust that it has never been addressed or resolved (or even acknowledged) by the U.S. Government.

And yes, until the use of depleted uranium is banned -- and those who have participated in its use as a weapon of crime against humanity accept responsibility for the heinous damages sustained by the victims exposed -- I (and others) will continue to post about it. I am quite fortunate to have so many dedicated friends (like Sheryl) who also understand the importance and who will assist in bringing the message to new readers (so that we're not only "preaching to the choir").

Because this subject does not receive the attention it deserves in the mainstream media, it is shameful that concerned citizens must use their own weak (by comparison) resources in order to attempt to educate the populace.

Thursday April 7, 2011, 11:12 am
No one on earth has EVER known how to safely handle the waste products of nuclear fission or fusion. Why have we continued to use this deadly fuel without understanding how to handle the waste materials safely. It's beginning to reek of a suicidal human race or human scientists anyway. And we're storing these materials around the world and in the oceans. And the incident in Japan is bringing the suicide closer. I wonder how long we'll last now? Thanks, Carole, for all the info you've spread through this posting.

Thursday April 7, 2011, 12:09 pm
I'm not trying to be a jerk or denigrate opinions. Subtlety and nuance are not easy to 'read' in print.
"YES YOU CAN ...fool, deceive, lie, frustrate and p..ss off the world including your own people! Nothing to be proud of! " is not the comment of a person unconscious of the lies and deceit which pass for public discourse.
On the flip side : do you think that - in a world where people are paid to infest threads and communities with stupid diversions - you will ever get the 'straight goods' on the percentage of people who are wise to the caper ?

Thursday April 7, 2011, 7:28 pm
Thank you for the post Carole. It is my opinion, and I am sure that of others as well, that not only is there no place for DU to be in use anywhere, but in reality,......we should not be using OUR troops anywhere. What is the world are we doing in all of these places anyway? I am a widowed military spouse. No, my husband was not killed in a conflict, but I am against all wars, conflicts or whatever you want to call them. Having been a mil. spouse for 20 years, I saw up close and personal, how our men and women are used as pawns on a world chess board. We should not only ask for the ban of DU, but for a ban on the use of our men and women in all parts of the world and bring them home to protect us, in the case of a national emergency, if need be. I will always support our troops who are in service and cannot leave, but never wars or conflicts. There is a difference. Thank you for posting this important issue Carole. Noted.

Friday April 8, 2011, 1:33 pm
@ John F and Carole- I didn't think my comment would leave any room for misinterpretation or doubt, sorry if that was the case. Thank you Carole for reading me correctly. And thanks John for emphasizing the need to keep presenting this hot topic which I fully support and agree on.
In no way was I complaining about such a repeat but in every way am I mad and disappointed about the course of the Obama administration.The title/ headline of this post is reason enough for that as the use of DU should be ruled out categorically.

Saturday April 9, 2011, 8:48 pm
Thank you Carole for such an interesting article, we can only hope for the right decisions from all governments, unfortunately they are the worst decision makers, in the meantime citizens have to take all the b...s.. they wants us to believe, there is no wonder why other countries reveal in aggressive ways to make their needs taken in consideration. The USA being such strong country most of the time leads, but UN should take this issue in their own hands since this is can be of international consequences.
THANKS AMOUR FOR SHARING THIS PETITION WITH ME.